Destroyed by Destiny
by MockingjayWithFangs
Summary: The man she is marrying is smiling. She is smiling herself, a fake smile but she is smiling. The man she loves isn't smiling, his storm cloud grey eyes are glassy. He is on the verge of tears.


"You look beautiful, Katniss. You truly do."

"Don't."

"Why?"

"You know very well why, you know what day it is today."

"Of course I do, but you still look beautiful." Gale's voice was laced with sorrow.

"Thank you, Gale." The same sorrow could be heard in Katniss' voice.

Katniss caught a glimpse of Gale's reflection on her mirror. She could touch his sorrow and hear his heart crack. Today was the day of Katniss' wedding. However she wasn't marrying Gale, the man she loved. She was marrying Peeta.

Her hair had been straightened for the occasion and embellished with dandelions. They had said her braid was too ordinary and primroses and catnips weren't pretty enough. The Mockingjay was marrying, she had to look beautiful, she still gave people hope.

Katniss was wearing a dress Cinna had designed. The dress embraced her dainty waist and had white lace sleeves. Cinna gave it to Haymitch with her Mockingjay suit, along with a letter that said, "I am sorry I don't get to attend your wedding. I am still betting on you, girl on fire."

_It had been ten years since the rebellion had ended and five since she had forgiven Gale. _

In the first year after Prim's death she had blamed Gale. The mere mention of his name was enough to make her scream until she lost her voice. After losing her voice more times than she remembered she realised that blaming Gale for Prim's death was like blaming the gun maker for someone's death. She had lost her sister, she didn't want to lose her best friend too.

Their first attempts of conversation after the rebellion were awkward. They were both reluctant to discuss something more meaningful than the weather. Gale was distant because he thought it was all a joke, a cruel joke. Katniss was distant because she wasn't sure if she could trust her best friend again.

One day, after the trees had been stripped from the leaves they bumped into each other in the forest. They started hunting like in the olden days. It felt the way it did before the games. Katniss enjoyed the feeling. Gale was glad Katniss wanted his company. Neither of them was sure how but they rebuilt their friendship…and _love._

"I wish I could trade places with Peeta."

"I also wish you could." Katniss immediately regretted her words. She had given Gale hope, which was cruel, since she was marrying another man.

"We could do it you know, leave the district and marry. We could be happy, Catnip."

Now it was the turn of Katniss' heart to break. Gale sounded so hopeful, just like before her first games. She wanted to say yes. You don't always get what you want.

"No, we can't." Katniss' voice was firm and dripping with sorrow. "I can't break the heart of a man who went to hell and back, lost himself more than once and was tortured just because he loved me."

_Even if it means breaking both our hearts._

The words were left unspoken but they were deafening. Gale took a deep breath. He wouldn't argue with Katniss, it would be a waste of breath, she was incredibly stubborn. He was also stubborn himself, however he wanted to form part of her life, even if it was as her best friend.

"You know, sometimes I wish you weren't so stubborn or such a defender of the helpless." Gale paused so he could bring himself to say the words. He wanted to say them but he wasn't entirely sure it was wise to say them. "But then I realise that if you weren't like you were you would not be the girl I love."

Katniss was too stunned to speak for a few seconds. Gale must have known promising each other love is nothing but painful, given the situation. Katniss opened her mouth to speak but Gale raises his hand to hush her.

Gale offered her his left arm, a humourless smile decorated his lips as he told her. "Come on, I wouldn't want you to be late to your wedding."

Katniss takes his arms gratefully, she needs to be strong. Cinna would have wanted her to keep her head high. They walk towards the meadow where she is marrying Peeta, the districts do not have churches, and try to look joyous.

The meadow is once again green and full of rues and dandelions. Katniss walked down the aisle, that was constructed just for her wedding. She silently thanks Cinna for making the dress end at her ankles, she was already struggling to walk. Katniss hadn't wanted Gale to be the one to walk her down the aisle and give her to Peeta. It was just too cruel, for her and for Gale. Everyone had thought it was a good idea and Gale wanted to, so her opposition was of no use.

Gale stopped walking and so does she. Katniss faced Peeta. Peeta was smiling, his blue eyes lit up with joy. They were finally marrying because they wanted to. Or so he thought. The man she was marrying was smiling. She was smiling herself, a fake smile but she was smiling. The man she loves wasn't smiling, his storm cloud grey eyes were glassy. He was on the verge of tears.

They did not have priests in District twelve. Haymitch was the one conducting the ceremony, not because of his undying faith. Haymitch was conducting the ceremony because he had been there in the darkest moments of there lives, he should be in the happy ones too.

"Katniss, do you take this man who now holds your hand, to be your true and wedded husband; and do you solemnly promise before God and these witnesses to love, cherish, honour and protect him, to forsake all others for his sake; to cleave unto him and him only, and him forever until death shall part you?

Peeta and herself were having a wedding like the ones before the dark days. The question Haymitch just asked her was used in weddings before Panem's creation. Katniss' entire body was shaking lightly, most would think of joy. Katniss was shaking because she couldn't find the courage within herself to accept. She looks at Gale and he gives her a nod you would have only seen if you were looking for it.

Katniss knew she must. She cleared her throat and sealed her future. "I do."

**A/N Merry Christmas Mori. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this. I hope everyone liked this and it would really make my day if you reviewed. I will be posting several stories/poems/drabbles today as my Christmas gift to you all.**


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